Flexible film motor for providing tactile feedback, multilayer film motor and glove

Abstract

The utility model discloses a flexible film motor providing tactile feedback, a multilayer film motor and a glove, the flexible film motor comprises a first film layer, a support layer and a second film layer, the film layer comprises an insulation substrate, a flexible electrode and a dielectric layer, the insulation substrate attached to the skin is arranged on one side of the flexible electrode, and the dielectric layer is arranged on the other side of the flexible electrode. The dielectric layer is arranged on one surface, far away from the insulating substrate, of the flexible electrode, and the supporting layer is arranged between the dielectric layer of the first thin film layer and the dielectric layer of the second thin film layer. The flexible thin-film motor provided by the embodiment of the utility model can generate mechanical vibration through electrostatic force, thereby generating efficient tactile feedback, and is wide in operation frequency domain, high in feedback precision, and high in reliability. Meanwhile, it can be guaranteed that the tactile feedback glove can keep good fitness and operation flexibility when carrying out various hand actions, and a user can carry out fine operation and natural hand movement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of tactile feedback, in particular to a flexible film motor providing tactile feedback. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies, the application of tactile feedback devices in these fields is becoming increasingly important.

[0003] In existing technologies, tactile feedback units are often based on mechanical motors, vibrators, pneumatic systems, and other technologies to achieve tactile feedback. These rigid structures often hinder delicate manipulation and natural hand movements, making hand movements less natural and affecting operational precision. Thin-film motors are a key component of tactile feedback units, and designing a structure that aligns with hand movements and provides high-precision tactile feedback has become a pressing technical challenge for those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model provides a flexible film motor, a multi-layer film motor and a glove that provide tactile feedback. By designing the flexible film motor structure, the technical problem of low precision of the tactile feedback unit is solved, so as to achieve a high-precision tactile feedback function that matches the hand movements.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present utility model provides a flexible thin film motor structure providing tactile feedback, comprising a first film layer, a support layer and a second film layer;

[0006] The film layer includes an insulating substrate, a flexible electrode and a dielectric layer, wherein the insulating substrate that is in contact with the skin is provided on one side of the flexible electrode, and the dielectric layer is provided on the side of the flexible electrode that is away from the insulating substrate;

[0007] The support layer is located between the dielectric layer of the first film layer and the dielectric layer of the second film layer.

[0008] As one preferred solution, the thickness of the insulating substrate is 100 microns.

[0009] As one preferred solution, the thickness of the flexible electrode is 15 nanometers.

[0010] As a preferred solution, the thickness of the dielectric layer is 20 microns.

[0011] As a preferred solution, the thickness of the support layer is 0.1 mm.

[0012] As one preferred solution, the area of the support layer is 1 / 8 of the area of the film layer.

[0013] As one preferred solution, the support layer is located at an edge of one end of the film layer.

[0014] As a preferred solution, the support layer is made of insulating material.

[0015] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a multi-layer thin film motor structure providing tactile feedback, comprising a plurality of flexible thin film motors as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a glove providing tactile feedback, characterized in that it comprises a number of flexible film motors as described in any one of claims 1-8.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are at least one of the following:

[0018] (1) Thin-film motors generate mechanical vibrations through electrostatic force, thereby producing efficient tactile feedback, with a wide operating frequency range and high feedback accuracy;

[0019] (2) Flexible film motors can ensure that the tactile feedback gloves maintain good fit and operational flexibility when performing various hand movements, allowing users to perform fine operations and natural hand movements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible film motor in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of tactile feedback generated by a flexible film motor in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-layer thin film motor in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a multilayer thin film motor generating tactile feedback in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a glove in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Reference numerals:

[0026] Among them, 1, first film layer; 1', second film layer; 11, insulating substrate; 12, flexible electrode; 13, dielectric layer; 2, supporting layer; 3, flexible connecting line; 4, wireless multi-channel control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," "third," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this utility model have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in the specification of this utility model are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the utility model. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood by those skilled in the art in specific circumstances.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible film motor that provides tactile feedback. For details, see Figure 1 , Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible thin-film motor in one embodiment of the present invention. The flexible thin-film motor in this embodiment comprises a first thin-film layer 1, a second thin-film layer 1', and a support layer 2. The thin-film layers comprise an insulating substrate 11, a flexible electrode 12, and a dielectric layer 13. The insulating substrate 11, which adheres to the skin, is disposed on one side of the flexible electrode 12. The dielectric layer 13 is disposed on the side of the flexible electrode 12 facing away from the insulating substrate 11. The support layer 2 is located between the dielectric layers 13 of the first thin-film layer 1 and the second thin-film layer 1'.

[0031] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the insulating substrate 11 is responsible for isolating external objects and providing a contact surface for tactile feedback. The insulating substrate 11 is in contact with the skin, for example, it can be in contact with the human fingers. Of course, the flexible thin film motor can also be set in other parts of the human body, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] In this embodiment, the insulating substrate 11 and flexible electrode 12 of the first and second film layers 1 ' are both aluminized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. The 100-micron-thick PET film forms the insulating substrate layer, while the 15-nanometer aluminum film evaporated on its surface forms the flexible electrode 12. The dielectric layer 13 is sprayed with a material with a dielectric constant greater than 3.9, providing a stronger electric field effect.

[0033] In this embodiment, a mixed solution of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is sprayed onto the flexible electrode 12 using a pneumatic spray gun. After the DMF evaporates, a 20-micron thick polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film is formed on the flexible electrode 12, forming the dielectric layer 13. The thin-film motor's support layer 2 is positioned at the outermost edge of one end of the film layer, covering an area of 1 / 8 of the film layer. In this embodiment, the support layer is made of 0.1 mm thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Other insulating and hard film materials can also be used, and are not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible film motor that provides tactile feedback. For details, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 The figure shows a schematic diagram of tactile feedback generated by a flexible thin film motor in one embodiment of the present invention. The flexible thin film motor mainly relies on electrostatic force to generate vibration. The flexible electrode 12 is responsible for the transmission of electrical signals. The first film layer 1 and the second film layer 1' simultaneously input opposite electrical signals. When the upper dielectric layer is a positive voltage, the lower dielectric layer is a negative voltage.

[0035] When opposite voltages are applied, a strong electric field is generated between the two layers of electrodes. This electric field creates a relative charge distribution between the electrodes, generating an electrostatic attraction. When voltage is applied, the electrostatic attraction causes the first film layer 1 and the second film layer 1' to attract each other. During this process, the electrostatic attraction performs work on the film, converting it into kinetic energy and elastic potential energy. When the voltage is turned off, the electric field disappears, and the electrostatic attraction between the two film layers disappears. The film releases the previously stored elastic potential energy and rebounds in the opposite direction. When the thin-film motor repeats this process, users who touch it can experience the tactile vibration it generates.

[0036] In this embodiment, a thin-film motor is applied with a square wave voltage consisting of a high voltage of 300V and a low voltage of 0V, equivalent to a voltage difference of 300V between the upper and lower layers of the film. While maintaining a constant amplitude, the output frequency of this square wave voltage is varied, resulting in stable operation within a range of 1-500Hz. While vibrotactile signals are difficult for the human body to detect at higher frequencies, the high-frequency vibrations can produce sounds of varying pitches. This embodiment can achieve vibrations up to 50kHz, with 20-20kHz being the frequency range of auditory signals that the human body can detect. Therefore, this thin-film motor can be incorporated into audio devices such as headphones for playing music.

[0037] An embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-layer thin film motor structure that provides tactile feedback. For details, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multilayer thin film motor structure in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The figure shows a schematic diagram of a multilayer thin film motor generating tactile feedback according to the present invention. The multilayer thin film motor includes a plurality of flexible thin film motors.

[0038] The multilayer thin-film motor achieves enhanced vibration by stacking multiple flexible electrodes 12 and multiple dielectric layers 13. The upper thin-film layer, from top to bottom, consists of an insulating substrate 11, flexible electrodes 12, and a dielectric layer 13. The middle layer, from top to bottom, consists of a dielectric layer 13, the flexible electrodes 12 corresponding to the upper thin-film layer, the insulating substrate 11, and the flexible electrodes 12 corresponding to the lower thin-film layer, and a dielectric layer 13. The lower thin-film layer, from top to bottom, consists of a dielectric layer 13, flexible electrodes 12, and an insulating substrate 11.

[0039] When a multilayer thin-film motor generates tactile feedback, the control system synchronizes the voltage changes across each thin-film electrode layer, causing each layer to generate electrostatic attraction and elastic deformation simultaneously. These electrostatic attractions, driven by the electric field, are superimposed between the layers, increasing the vibration amplitude and force of the thin-film electrodes, significantly enhancing the overall vibration effect. Compared to a motor consisting of only two thin film layers, the overall vibration displacement and force of a multilayer thin-film motor are multiplied. The coordinated operation of the multiple thin films enhances the overall vibration effect, allowing users to experience a stronger tactile feedback when wearing gloves.

[0040] The present invention also includes a glove that provides tactile feedback. For details, see Figure 5 , Figure 5The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a glove according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising a plurality of flexible film motors, a flexible connecting cable 3, and a wireless multi-channel control system 4. The glove deploys a flexible film motor on each finger pad. The flexible film motors can be arranged in an array, each connected to the wireless multi-channel control system 4 via a flexible connecting cable 3. Due to the flexibility and thinness of the flexible film motors, more film motors can be deployed in various locations, such as finger joints and the palm, without specific limitation in this embodiment.

[0041] The wireless multi-channel control system 4 is placed as a control component on the wrist of the glove or at other locations. It can communicate wirelessly with an external computer or mobile phone and output corresponding electrical signals after receiving relevant signals.

[0042] The flexible connecting wire 3 connects the flexible film motor and the wireless multi-channel control system 4, transmitting electrical signals and ensuring the glove fits snugly to the curves of the user's hand. In this embodiment, the flexible connecting wire 3 is made of silver fiber conductive fabric, which increases conductivity while maintaining flexibility. Other materials available include flexible DuPont wire, flexible conductive copper wire, and others, though these are not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0043] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flexible thin film motor providing tactile feedback, characterized in that: comprising a first film layer, a support layer, and a second film layer; The film layer includes an insulating substrate, a flexible electrode and a dielectric layer, wherein the insulating substrate that is in contact with the skin is provided on one side of the flexible electrode, and the dielectric layer is provided on the side of the flexible electrode that is away from the insulating substrate; The support layer is located between the dielectric layer of the first film layer and the dielectric layer of the second film layer.

2. The flexible film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the insulating substrate is 100 microns.

3. The flexible thin film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the flexible electrode is 15 nanometers.

4. The flexible film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the dielectric layer is 20 microns.

5. The flexible thin film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the support layer is 0.1 mm.

6. The flexible thin film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The area of the support layer is 1 / 8 of the area of the film layer.

7. The flexible film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The support layer is located at an edge of one end of the film layer.

8. The flexible thin film motor providing tactile feedback according to claim 1, wherein: The supporting layer is made of insulating material.

9. A multilayer thin film motor providing tactile feedback, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of flexible film motors according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A glove providing tactile feedback, characterized in that: The flexible film motor comprises a plurality of flexible film motors according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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